Photon OS is a minimal Linux container host, optimized to run on VMware platforms (though it is capable of running in other environments). Photon OS includes a small number of packages and offers users a command line interface. The default installation will often require less than 100MB of memory to run. The operating system comes with Docker pre-installed.

The eventful last days of the year 2015 have brought us one truly tragic piece of news, but also a brand-new release of deepin, an increasingly popular distribution developed in China and featuring the Deepin desktop environment. This is the project's first version based on Debian GNU/Linux (the "unstable" branch), rather than Ubuntu. From the release announcement: "deepin is a Linux distribution committed to providing an elegant, user-friendly, safe and stable operating system for users all over the world. deepin 15 pays more attention to internationalization, and is enhanced with brand new mirror image acceleration (CDN acceleration). Languages supported are up to 30, thus the infinite charm of deepin can be experienced globally. Newly added languages are Malay, Bulgarian, Swedish, Croatian, Japanese, Korean, Finnish, Spanish (Latin America), Hindi (India), Ukrainian. Besides, we have reached an important cooperative relationship with Intel. We will collaboratively utilize Crosswalk Project to migrate existing web applications to deepin (Linux platform), thus enriching the diversity of applications for deepin and to improve the deepin experience." Download the installation DVD image from here: deepin-15-amd64.iso (1,851MB, MD5).

deepin (formerly, Deepin, Linux Deepin, Hiweed GNU/Linux) is a Debian-based distribution (it was Ubuntu-based until version 15 released in late 2015) that aims to provide an elegant, user-friendly and reliable operating system. It does not only include the best the open source world has to offer, but it has also created its own desktop environment called DDE or Deepin Desktop Environment which is based on the Qt 5 toolkit. Deepin focuses much of its attention on intuitive design. Its home-grown applications, like Deepin Software Centre, DMusic and DPlayer are tailored to the average user. Being easy to install and use, deepin can be a good Windows alternative for office and home use.

deepin is a Debian-based distribution featuring a custom desktop environment, called Deepin Desktop. The latest version of the distribution, deepin 15.5, introduces several important features, including HiDPI support, fingerprint scanner, wi-fi hotspot sharing and support for installing Flatpak packages. "deepin is a Linux distribution devoted to providing beautiful, easy to use, safe and reliable system for global users. deepin 15.5 mainly added HiDPI, fingerprint scanning and Flatpak application format. It migrated Deepin Crosswalk to the new web application framework, pre-installed Deepin Clone and Deepin Recovery, newly added touchpad gesture, wi-fi hotspot sharing and color temperature adjustment as well as comprehensive optimization of network module and desktop environment. Applications in Deepin Family and applications related to Deepin Wine have been upgraded to the latest version. Details of these new features, a video of the Deepin desktop in action and screen shots can be found in the project's release announcement. Download: deepin-15.5-amd64.iso (3,266MB, SHA256, torrent, pkglist).

The deepin team has announced the availability of a new release of the project's Debian-based distribution. The new version, deepin 15.4.1, provides mostly minor updates over the previously released 15.4 branch. "deepin is a Linux distribution devoted to providing beautiful, easy to use, security and reliable system for global users. As a revised edition, deepin 15.4.1 added Launcher mini mode, application start animation and window preview effect, optimized 2-D mode of window manager, fixed bugs that forum users submitted and updated Deepin applications to the newest version. Launcher mini mode is added, back to the classic operating way. Two modes are provided for user to switch freely. Well-designed application start animation increased the interest to run application. It’s more efficient to drag and drop file to the application on Dock for opening. Window preview effect is back to make your desktop more vivid. Rebuilt Deepin Screenshot, really can start in one second. Newly designed the toolbar and marquee, added the function to directly capture context menu." Additional information and screen shots can be found in the project's release announcement. Download (MD5): deepin-15.4.1-amd64.iso (2,558MB, torrent, pkglist).

The deepin project, which develops a Debian-based Linux distribution with a custom desktop environment and several applications developed in-house, has announced the release of deepin 15.4. Despite a minor increment in the version number (from 15.3 to 15.4), this is a major release with many improvements and package upgrades: "deepin 15.4 has brand new design for Control Center and desktop. It adopted new blur and transparent style, new interactions for hot corner and window manager, along with selective wallpapers, full-screen installation interface, latest stable kernel version and original Deepin applications. It has added traditional Chinese (Hong Kong) and Amharic language support. The Control Center has brand-new design and interactions; the homepage shows quick-access icons for common settings to make the operation easier and faster. The newly designed installer has full-screen interface, fuzzy background, smart detection, friendly reminder and 'scan QR code for feedback'; you can experience the incredible pleasure of deepin just after drinking a cup of coffee." See the release announcement for more information and screenshots. Download (also available from Google Drive): deepin-15.4-amd64.iso (2,491MB, MD5, pkglist).

Nearly a month after the last development build, the deepin team has announced the availability of the release candidate for the upcoming deepin 15.4, a Debian-based desktop Linux distribution featuring Deepin Desktop Environment as well as a range of custom applications and usability improvements: "After the public test of deepin 15.4 beta, we have received a lot of suggestions and feedback, we adopted some of them and fixed many problems. Here are update details of deepin 15.4 RC: pre-installed brand new desktop wallpapers; optimized keyboard layout function so it can be switched by shortcut keys; optimized interaction experience of desktop hot corner; optimized details of system user interface; fixed blurred screen issues for Intel integrated graphics card users; fixed issues with the wallpaper thumbnails where they did not match the set wallpaper; added custom weather location in Control Center; added controls for playing music; added custom settings for multi-screen setups...." See the detailed release announcement for further information and screenshots. Download: deepin-15.4-rc-amd64.iso (2,495MB, MD5, pkglist).

deepin is a Linux desktop distribution based on Debian's Unstable branch. The deepin project develops the custom Deepin Desktop Environment, along with a collection of graphical application for playing media and installing software. The deepin project has announced the availability of a new development snapshot, deepin 15.4 beta. The new testing snapshot includes a revamped control panel and updated kernel for improved hardware support. "deepin 15.4 beta has the newly designed Control Center, and it includes a series of Deepin Original Applications. It is easy to use with great beauty and has improved the user experience a lot. Besides, the kernel version has been upgraded to the latest stable version, it has improved the stability and compatibility. Due to the active feedback from alpha test users, deepin 15.4 beta has an outstanding improvement on completeness and compatibility." Further information and screenshots can be found in the project's release announcement. Download: deepin-15.4-amd64.iso (2,325MB, MD5, pkglist).

Melody Zou has announced the availability of an updated release of deepin, a Debian-based, desktop Linux distribution with a custom desktop environment and several in-house applications: "deepin 15.3 brings a highly customizable dock, while the wallpaper setting is more visual and convenient. Meanwhile, this version includes Deepin File Manager, Deepin Image Viewer, new Deepin Terminal and other Deepin applications to enrich the whole ecosystem." Besides feature enhancements, this version also fixes a large number of bugs: "Fixed the issue in display module where double-screen switching is occasionally invalid; fixed the issue in display module where contents on desktop are misplaced after switching double screens several times; fixed the issue in network module where new users are required to identify when logging in to use the network; fixed the issue in sound module where sound play cannot be manually switched to an external HDMI device...." Read the rest of the release announcement for more information and screenshots. Download: deepin-15.3-amd64.iso (2,287MB, MD5, pkglist).

Melody Zou has announced the release of deepin 15.2, an updated version of the desktop-oriented, Debian-based distribution with a custom desktop environment called Deepin. This version delivers a new screen for launching applications and many updated packages, including the latest LTS Linux kernel: "deepin 15.2 adopts a new Launcher interface and intuitive search, adds safe boot support, and uses the 4.4 LTS kernel optimized and compiled by the deepin kernel team. System performance and resource allocation have been significantly improved. Also, this version comes pre-installed with the more stable CrossOver 15. The Launcher interface is more friendly and the search box is placed at the top of Launcher. The classification of applications is simple and clear and users can customize icon locations using the free sorting mode. Remote Assistance is an independent application now, deeply integrated with the distribution. No matter where you are, your friends or engineers can connect to your PC and to solve the problems you've encountered." Here is the full release announcement with screenshots. Download the installation DVD image from here: deepin-15.2-amd64.iso (2,235MB, MD5).

The deepin project has published an updated release of the distribution's 15 series. The new version, deepin 15.1, includes several updates and fixes. The latest version also features a new application, Deepin Cloud Print. "deepin 15.1 is a correction emphasizing bug fixing from users' feedback, optimizing the system and expanding the application repository. It is worth mentioning that a new member has joined the deepin application family - deepin Cloud Print. Based on questions and advice users submitted through deepin feedback, we fixed and optimized system modules: optimized Dock display interface when mounting mobile device; fixed an issue with the Dock whose hidden status may be incorrect; fixed an issue with the Dock where the system tray cannot be displayed...." A full list of changes and several screen shots are featured in the project's release announcement. Download (MD5) the installation DVD image from SourceForge: deepin-15.1-amd64.iso (1,964MB, pkglist).

The deepin development team has announced the release of deepin 15 beta, the latest development build of the Debian-based distribution featuring a custom desktop environment and layout: "Thanks to the warm feedback from alpha 2 users, the function completeness and stability have been significantly improved in deepin 15 beta. Completely new design style. For this version, a white system theme and winning works of Deepin wallpaper contest 2015 have been used to present you a fresh and elegant feeling. System sound and animation effects and have been thoroughly perfected. Notification, wake up and similar operations will all come with fine sound and animation effects. From now on, every operation you perform will no longer be dull. Meanwhile, we have further refined system details, e.g., finely adjusted the render effects of fonts, added a multitasking view button to the dock. All to make you use the desktop comfortably and smoothly in work and entertainment." Continue to the release announcement which includes numerous screenshots of the deepin desktop. Download the installation DVD image from SourceForge: deepin-15-beta-amd64.iso (1,884MB, MD5, pkglist).

The deepin development team has announced the availability of the second alpha build of the upcoming deepin 15, a major new version of the project's desktop Linux distribution featuring the Deepin desktop: "deepin 15 alpha 2 is thoroughly changed with a brand new system architecture. System performance and resources occupation have been significantly improved. Meanwhile, significant attention has been paid in internationalization for this system. Not only multi-language display has been improved, but also the mirror acceleration function has been added for the first time. So you can experience the infinite charm of deepin wherever you are! Thanks to the comprehensive optimization of the system internal architecture, deepin 15 alpha 2 has become lighter and cleaner. A new window manager has been adopted in this edition, while performance and compatibility has reached perfect balance." Read the rest of the release announcement for a list of new features and screenshots. Interested alpha testers can download the release from here: deepin-15-alpha2-amd64.iso (1,776MB, MD5, pkglist).

The deepin development team has announced the release of deepin 2014.3 which brings new updates to the project's Ubuntu-based desktop Linux distribution, together with a new website domain (deepin.org) and a new product name - now spelt with a lower-case "d". From the release announcement: "deepin 2014.3 is the revised version. This version is the achievement after we comprehensively fixed bugs in the system and applications in the last version and optimized the performance of the last version. Meanwhile, the system features and UI interfaces have been adjusted slightly. In terms of the languages the system supports, deepin 2014.3 has increasingly supported 23 languages. In addition, deepin has relatively complete community documents and nearly 70 mirror sites worldwide, allowing users all around the world to be able to experience the infinite charm of the deepin system. This time, we focused on fixing and optimizing Dock and Control Center to make the experience and stability of deepin 2014.3 greatly improved." Download the installation DVD image from here: deepin_2014.3_amd64.iso (1,920MB, MD5, pkglist).

Deepin 2014.2, the second update of the Ubuntu-based community distribution with a custom, HTML 5-based desktop environment, has been released. The "live mode" functionality has been removed in this version, so it is no longer possible to test the distribution before committing to a hard disk installation. Other features of the release include: "Enabled brand-new Deepin themes, making the system interface more beautiful; newly added the feature of drag and drop re-ordering to the residing icons in Dock; newly added four kinds of re-ordering modes in the Launcher (by name, by category, by installation time and by frequency of use); newly added the functions of Icon, Cursor and Fonts setting in the Personalization Setting module; improved multi-screen display function; strengthened the network function and added the function of state memory; simplified the operation of choosing time zone in Control Center and newly added the function of daylight saving time...." Here is the full release announcement with screenshots. Download: deepin_2014.2_amd64.iso (1,888MB, MD5, pkglist).

Cathy Lin has announced the release of Deepin 2014.1, a bug-fix update of the Ubuntu-based community distribution with a highly customised and intuitive desktop environment: "Deepin 2014.1 released. In this version, we focus on enhancing the system stability. Meanwhile, the system performance has been optimized thoroughly and the major improvements are as follows: added the anti-freeze function of Dock in background; fixed the system freezing bugs caused by Dock; for desktop, we have resolved the problems of right-click menu and multiple screen display; the response speed of the right-click menu has been improved significantly and its memory has been reduced by 90%; multi-screen display function has solved the problems of novice guide malposition and wrong display of wallpapers; a soft control function of screen brightness has been added in Control Center's display module...." Read the rest of the release announcement for further details and screenshots. Download: deepin_2014.1_amd64.iso (1,495MB, MD5, pkglist).

Chen Xiang Bang has announced the release of Deepin 2014, a new stable version of the Ubuntu-based community distribution with a custom desktop environment that bears the same name: "Deepin 2014 release - hold your dream and move forward. Deepin is a Linux distribution that aims to provide an elegant, user-friendly, safe and stable operating system for global users. Based on HTML5 technologies, Deepin team has developed a series of new special software applications, such as Deepin Desktop Environment, Deepin Music Player, DPlayer and Deepin Software Center. Deepin 2014 brings a brand-new Deepin Desktop Environment 2.0, with a specially designed Deepin theme, which makes the overall style and appearance of Deepin 2014 unified, neat and tidy. It also adds convenient features, such as user guide, starter Chinese phonetic search and intuitive hot zone settings." See the release announcement for a full list of improvements and plenty of screenshots. Download: deepin_2014_final_amd64.iso (1,244MB, MD5).

Chen Xiang Bang has announced the availability of the release candidate for the upcoming Deepin 2014, an Ubuntu-based desktop Linux distribution from China: "Deepin 2014 RC – pursuing perfection never stops. Do not install, use and evaluate in a virtual machine. It is strongly recommended that you install Deepin 2014 directly on a real machine for the gorgeous effects to be truly experienced. Since Compiz is used as the window manager in Deepin 2014, its performance is poor in a virtual machine. To solve this problem, we plan to develop a new window manager to replace Compiz in future releases. Deepin 2014 RC has been fully optimized with a boot memory of 500 MB and the internal prompt mechanism has been improved, which makes Deepin Desktop Environment more lightweight and sensitive." Read the release announcement for more information and screenshots. Download links: deepin_2014_rc_en_amd64.iso (1,309MB, MD5), deepin_2014_rc_zh-hans_amd64.iso (1,348MB, MD5), deepin_2014_rc_zh-hant_amd64.iso (1,313MB, MD5).

Li Hong Wu has announced the availability of the beta release of Deepin 2014, the upcoming version of the Ubuntu-based distribution featuring a highly customised Deepin desktop environment: "Deepin 2014 Beta is released. Compared with the alpha release, Deepin 2014 beta has the following updates and changes: Deepin Desktop Environment 2.0. Since Deepin 2014 alpha was released, we have received warm feedback and suggestions from all over the world. Many tweaks and improvements have been made accordingly. In this release, we have simplified user selection in the login manager and added effects for the dock and the launcher. Deepin Control Center. The beta release has shipped with a more mature and stable Deepin control center. Many features are implemented, including broadband connection, VPN connection, hidden network connection, fixed IP and Bluetooth. The module for sound control is more stable." Continue to the release announcement for a full list of changes generously illustrated by screenshots. Download the Chinese and the English editions: deepin-desktop-amd64.iso (1,219MB, MD5), deepin-desktop-en-amd64.iso (1,194MB, MD5).

Chen Xiang Bang has announced the availability of the initial alpha build of Deepin 2014, the upcoming new version of the project's desktop Linux distribution featuring the updated Deepin 2.0 desktop: "Deepin 2014 is an alpha release and it is only for community users who are familiar with Linux. This release contains some known issues and functions that are not implemented. It is not supposed to be used in a production environment. As it uses Compiz, a compositing window manager to provide 3D animation and Gaussian Blur effects, the performance is poor in virtual machines. It is highly recommended not to install and test Deepin 2014 in virtual machines. The preferred way of installing and testing is to set it up on a physical machine via a multiboot mechanism." Read the rest of the release announcement for a list of new features and screenshots. Interested testers can download the English or the simplified Chinese variants from here: deepin_2014_alpha_en_amd64.iso (1,100MB, MD5), deepin_2014_alpha_zh-hans_amd64.iso (1,119MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin 2013, a new version of the Ubuntu-based community distribution developed in China, has been released: "Linux Deepin 2013 is released. Focusing on improving user experience, Linux Deepin has made several attempts and various innovations on the Linux desktop in the last two years. During the process, Linux Deepin has become more mature and stable. The new 2013 release has retained the highlights of its predecessors. It has also made many improvements based on our users' feedback and suggestions. Users of Linux Deepin are all recommended to upgrade to the 2013 version." Read the rest of the release announcement to find out more about the improvements and bug fixes in this release. Download links to the English, simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese language variants: deepin_2013_en_amd64.iso (1,244MB, MD5), deepin_2013_zh-hans_amd64.iso (1,252MB, MD5), deepin_2013_zh-hant_amd64.iso (1,237MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin is the leading community distribution from China featuring the Deepin Desktop Environment based on GNOME Shell. Linux Deepin 12.12.1 was announced today as an enhancement (and also a bug-fix) of the previous 12.12 release. New functions include the deepin-notifications plugin for the desktop, where users can check the notifications sent by utilities or the OS. As an important component of the desktop, Deepin System Settings now supports wallpaper selection via the personalization module and automatic login via the accounts configuration module. The Software Center has been upgraded for more convenient software installation/uninstallation. The dmusic-plugin-baidumusic plugin has been developed for better online music experience. Last but not least, the Deepin team has been maintaining a weekly archive on recommended applications. Read the full release announcement (in Chinese) for further information including screenshots. Download the Simplified Chinese edition: deepin_12.12.1_zh-hans_final_amd64.iso (1,189MB, MD5). The English and Traditional Chinese editions will follow up on download servers soon.

Li Hong Wu has announced the release of Linux Deepin 12.12, an Ubuntu-based desktop distribution featuring the Deepin desktop environment (based on GNOME Shell) and available in English and Chinese (simplified and traditional) variants: "Yes, the long wait is finally over and a new stable and awesome release of Linux Deepin, version 12.12, is ready for you. After a year of hard work, we are happy to bring you a free operating system with the unique Deepin touch - stable, easy and elegant. Linux Deepin 12.12 features a brand-new desktop environment, called DDE or Deepin Desktop Environment, an enhanced Deepin Software Center, as well as DMusic, DPlayer and DSnapshot." Read the full release announcement to find out more about the Deepin desktop environment and other features, and to view screenshots. Download the English or Chinese (simplified "hans", traditional "hant") editions from here: deepin_12.12_en_amd64.iso (1,172MB, MD5), deepin_12.12_zh-hans_amd64.iso (1,180MB, MD5), deepin_12.12_zh-hant_amd64.iso (1,165MB, MD5).

The release candidate of Linux Deepin 12.12, a popular Chinese community distribution, has been released for testing and feedback. According to the release announcement (in Chinese), since the beta version the development work has revolved around addressing bug reports as well as suggestions of improvements. As a result, the release candidate highlights stability and usability. Support for dual monitors is added, and the system tray now facilitates advanced power management. A user can compress one or more files on the desktop by simply right-clicking on them. The software center now allows for much easier online package upgrading, e.g., via automatic or manual selection of mirror servers. The Deepin media player has been upgraded so that DVD with playback menu options and VCD are supported. Certain applications like Skype and WPS for Linux are now installed by default. Currently only Chinese Simplified ISO images are available for download: deepin_12.12_zh-hans_rc_amd64.iso (1,121MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin is one of the few distributions from China that exhibit new developments from time to time. Two months after its alpha version, Linux Deepin 12.12 beta was made available today. According to the release announcement (in Chinese), the Linux Deepin community edition of the very popular Sogou input method made its début in this release, which is a pioneering effort to extend the renowned input method to Linux desktops. The Deepin Desktop Environment has also been greatly improved so that it is fully featured and more stabilized. For example, keyboard shortcuts have been redefined in this beta version so that they are more convenient for the users. The 1000+ applications in Software Center have been manually re-categorized by the developers so that the classification is clearer. Also updated are the audio and video players as well as the utility for screenshots. At this moment only Chinese Simplified ISO images are available from university mirrors: deepin_12.12_beta_amd64.iso (742MB, MD5).

A preview version of Linux Deepin 12.12, a popular Chinese community distribution, has been unleashed for testing. This is the first version that ships with the brand new Deepin Desktop Environment (DDE), which replaces GNOME Shell as the default desktop. DDE along with its Deepin System Settings (DSS) is regarded as a milestone for the Deepin project. DSS is implemented with the Deepin UI library and it features automatic screen brightness adjustment, support for the Chinese lunar calendar, convenient network configuration, and so on. Also included in Deepin 12.12 Alpha is Deepin Software Center 3.0 Alpha, where the software applications are reorganized with better classification. Multimedia utilities for video and audio playback as well as screenshots have been upgraded to new versions for testing. Check the complete release announcement (in Chinese) for more information including known issues. Download: deepin_12.12_alpha_zh-hans_amd64.iso (702MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin, one of the most active community distributions in China, today released its version 12.06 that was originally scheduled for the end of last month. This project employs a half-year release cycle and is highly attractive to Chinese university students. The desktop environment in this release is Deepin GNOME Shell, which is the GNOME Shell adapted to the way users prefer to manage the desktop. Three extensions for Hide Message Tray, Kimpanel, and Panel Settings are introduced for better GUI experience. This release incorporates a number of device drivers, particularly for printers. More fonts were included and thus CJK rendering is better supported. This release can even be installed by running a special DeepWin.exe in a Windows operating system. Featured applications are Deepin Music Player, Deepin Media Player, and Deepin Software Center. Read the complete release announcement (in Chinese). Download (MD5): deepin_12.06_zh-hans_i386.iso (680MB), deepin_12.06_zh-hans_amd64.iso (692MB). Separate CD images with support for English and traditional Chinese are also available from SourceForge.

The release candidate of Linux Deepin 12.06, a popular Chinese distribution based on Ubuntu, has paved the way for the official release scheduled in the end of June. This candidate focuses on improving the features introduced in the last beta version, while overall system compatibility is also taken into consideration. Deepin Music Player 1.0 RC, a full-fledged audio player dedicated to Chinese desktop Linux users, now has a configuration interface and command-line support, as well as decreased resource consumption. Deepin Media Player 1.0 RC, designed to be the most easy-to-use Linux video player, now has an added configuration interface and better support for video preview. Deepin User Interface and desktop environment are also enhanced with better performance and user experience. Check the complete release notes (in Chinese). Download (MD5): deepin_12.06_rc_zh-hans_i386.iso (646MB), deepin_12.06_rc_zh-hans_amd64.iso (658MB).

Linux Deepin, an Ubuntu-based community distribution from China, has unleashed the second beta release for its version 12.06 scheduled for the end of this month. This test version boasts the debut of two multimedia applications. First, Deepin Music Player 1.0 beta claims to be a full-fledged audio player for Linux users in China and throughout the world. It incorporates functionalities like music discovery, audio conversion, and lyrics display. Second, Deepin Media Player 1.0 beta claims to be the most easy-to-use Linux video player, which supports playback, fast preview, and subtitle display. Deepin 12.06 beta 2 also features Deepin User Interface, optimized Gnome Shell, and significantly decreased booting time. Please refer to the complete release notes (in Chinese). Download (MD5): deepin_12.06_beta2_zh-hans_i386.iso (653MB), deepin_12.06_beta2_zh-hans_amd64.iso (665MB).

Linux Deepin, one of the most active community distributions from China, released its version 11.12.1 on the leap day as an upgrade from its New Year release. Deepin GNOME Shell now supports 3D effects and a so-called output device chooser for sound. Deepin Software Center is upgraded to version 2.1.2 where user experience has been greatly improved with a lot of bug fixes and even added support of Hebrew. The new Deepin-Scrot 2.0 now allows rudimentary image processing like text input on the screenshots taken. Documentation is also upgraded where FAQs are added and English edition is included. Other changes include Linux kernel 3.0.0-16, Firefox 10.0.2, Thunderbird 10.0.2, and LibreOffice 3.4. Check the complete release notes (in Chinese) for more, with hint on online upgrade and even a link to video presentations. Download (MD5): deepin_11.12.1_zh-hans_i386.iso (668MB), deepin_11.12.1_zh-hans_amd64.iso (683MB). Separate CD images with support for English and traditional Chinese are also available from SourceForge.

Linux Deepin, a free, user-friendly, and full-featured community distribution from China based on Ubuntu, announced its 11.12 release on the last day of the year. This release employs GNOME Shell with a lot of tweaks as the default desktop. Deepin Software Center is upgraded to the official 2.0 version, with features like download management and improved search experience. Deepin-Scrot 1.0, an easy-to-use yet smart utility for taking screenshots, made its début. Upgrade from earlier versions, like Deepin 11.06, is not encouraged; please try a fresh installation instead. Although currently only the Chinese Simplified edition is available, multiple ISO images will be provided, each designed for a dedicated language (Chinese Traditional, English). Check the full release notes (in Chinese). Download (MD5): deepin_11.12_zh-hans_i386.iso (654MB), deepin_11.12_zh-hans_amd64.iso (684MB).

Linux Deepin is a popular and active Chinese community distribution based on Ubuntu and featuring the GNOME desktop and numerous usability improvements. With remarkable contributions from enthusiastic volunteers, Linux Deepin 11.06 has been released. It is based on Ubuntu 11.04 but still uses GNOME 2, and it features an independently developed Deepin Software Centre. The look and feel of this new version like default font size have been adjusted in response to the requests from the user community, and input methods for both Simplified and Traditional Chinese (Yong and ibus-chewing) are included with a pretty skin. LibreOffice is installed by default but a specialized office suite dedicated for Deepin from Evermore Software is available via Software Centre. Video and audio players are still GNOME MPlayer and DeaDBeeF, both with enhancements. Firefox 5 is the web browser but the email client is changed to Thunderbird to better work with GMail. Check the full release notes (in Chinese) with a few screenshots. Download (MD5): deepin_11.06_i386.iso (655MB), deepin_11.06_amd64.iso (635MB).

Linux Deepin is a popular and active Chinese community distribution based on Ubuntu and featuring the GNOME desktop and numerous usability enhancements. The first release candidate of Linux Deepin 11.06 was just released Saturday. Minor bugs concerning Chinese localization of the installer and auto completion of "sudo" commands have been fixed. SSH is now included by default installation but Gnome Nettool is removed. GNOME MPlayer is configured so that subtitles are loaded automatically for videos. Software Center is upgraded to the latest version and the ppstream software repository is added. Known issues revolve around localization and rendering problems, and Deepin volunteers are hard working on translating applications documents. Bug reports are welcome. Check the full release notes (in Chinese). Download (MD5): deepin_11.06-rc_i386.iso (654MB), deepin_11.06-rc_amd64.iso (681MB).

Linux Deepin is a Chinese community distribution based on Ubuntu and featuring the GNOME desktop and numerous usability enhancements. The second beta version of Linux Deepin 11.06 was just released this Monday. There are two major changes: the ISO image is now generated with the Hybrid mode so that users can easily boot their computers from USB media; improved user experience via Packages.LinuxDeepin.com where all unofficial Ubuntu warehouse (like PPA, Medibuntu, and LinuxMint) are cached. Besides quite a few bug fixes, there are observable package adjustments like the inclusion of DeadBeef 0.5.1 with patches and the brand new Firefox 5.0, as well as the downgrade of Compiz from version 0.9 to 0.8. The installer now only supports Chinese and English, and ibus-chewing the input method for Traditional Chinese is added. Caveat: due to DNS problems, upgrading from earlier versions now becomes a bit different. Check the complete release notes (in Chinese) for full information. Download (MD5): deepin_11.06-beta2_i386.iso (652MB), deepin_11.06-beta2_amd64.iso (679MB).

Linux Deepin 10.12, a Chinese Ubuntu-based distribution featuring the GNOME desktop and numerous usability enhancements, such as Mint menu and the Mac OS X-like Cairo-Dock panel for application launch, has been released. Some of the more interesting new features in this version include: a much improved Chinese input method called Yong; Yozo Office 2009 SP1, a locally developed office suite with a look and feel of Microsoft Office; new font selector offering a choice between the default WenQuanYi font and the Windows XP-like ClearType fonts; introduction of the space-saving "global menu" feature, neatly integrated into the top panel with window controls; a brand-new icon theme. Please see the detailed release notes (in Chinese) which contain several screenshots to illustrate some of the concepts. Download the installable live CD image from SourceForge: deepin-10.12-i386.iso (652MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin is an active community Linux distribution providing a highly localized Chinese desktop based on Ubuntu. Its second (but unexpected) release candidate for version 10.12 turned up soon after the first one; this is the result of an abundance of feedbacks from testers, and the pursuit of an "as bug-free as possible" official release right before the New Year necessitates this RC2. The good news is that RC2 can be had by upgrading from RC1; for those who prefer a fresh installation, everything has been packed into just one CD image instead of a bulky DVD one. Following the Deepin philosophy, user experience has again been improved, in terms of both Chinese input/rendering and a more reasonable selection of various localised applications. The NTFS handling glitch and other bugs have been fixed. Find more in the release announcement (in Chinese) which includes two screenshots. Download: deepin-10.12-rc2-i386.iso (693MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin is an active community Linux distribution providing a highly localized Chinese desktop based on Ubuntu, and its 10.12 release candidate hit the download mirrors just ten days after the beta version. One amazing feature is that the DeepWin installer, a customized Wubi, can be seamlessly integrated into Windows as an ordinary program; Windows users only need to run from the control panel to install or uninstall Deepin Linux. The release candidate also improves the desktop by adding nine web-orientated applications based on Firefox and Prism; all nine are representative applications popular in China but are rarely included in other Linux distributions. The Yong input method has been upgraded and also tweaked for better user experience. This release candidate serves as a preview of the final release before the new year; no changes except bug fixes will be considered. See the release announcement (in Chinese) with a few screenshots. Download the DVD image: deepin-10.12-rc-i386.iso (859MB, MD5).

The beta version of Linux Deepin 10.12, an active community Linux distribution aimed at a highly localized Chinese desktop based on Ubuntu, has been released after two alpha builds and with quite a few exciting features. OpenOffice.org has been replaced with the 2009 personal edition of Yozo Office, a domestic and fully functional office suite with the look and feel from Microsoft Office. The input method is switched to "Yong" and ibus, the former of which is less known but found to be very convenient; please check its manual page to get started. Firefox and Google Chrome are both extended with Easy Link, so that the browser can also handle download links dedicated for Thunder and FlashGet. Wine is added and configured, where the domestic instant messenger QQ is accommodated. See the full release announcement (in Chinese) for more information and a few screenshots. While a customized CD image is specially created for a few users, general users are referred to the complete DVD image. Download: deepin-10.12-beta-i386.iso (892MB, MD5).

The first alpha build of Linux Deepin 10.12, a Chinese desktop Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, is out and ready for testing. One of the most interesting features of the release is the attempt to maximise vertical screen space by placing the GTK+ application menus and window controls on the top taskbar, removing the titlebars, and auto-hiding the dockbar at the bottom of the screen. Other notable improvements include: addition of the DeaDBeeF media player with support for most popular media codecs; addition of Cairo-Dock - a Mac OS X-like dockbar; a brand-new desktop theme, icon set and sound theme; return to SCIM as the default Chinese input method; use of extra software developed by Linux Mint, including mintMenu, mintInstall, mintUpdate, mintBackup, mintDesktop, mintUpload and mintWifi; switch to live DVD format. Please refer to the release announcement (in Chinese) for more information and a handful of screenshots. Interested alpha testers can download the live DVD image from here: Deepin_10.12-DVD-alpha1.iso (826MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin is a Chinese community distribution based on Ubuntu and designed for desktop users. After three release candidates, Linux Deepin 10.06 was announced today. It is based on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, and a fresh installation (instead of upgrade from version 9.12) is recommended for users. It supports installation from USB devices and thus one does not need to burn the released ISO image onto a CD. Major components include ibus-sunpinyin the whole-sentence-oriented Chinese input method, Linux kernel 2.6.32-23, Flash player 10.1.53.64, Xfce 4.6.2, OpenOffice.org 3.2.0, Firefox 3.6.6 and its plugins all of the latest versions. User-friendly improvements include automatic installation (one only needs to perform disk partition and user creation), faster boot-up, and graphical configurations for various network settings. Please check the release announcement (in Chinese) with a number of screenshots. Download from mirrors: Deepin-10.06.iso (667MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin is a Chinese community distribution based on Ubuntu, and version 10.06 will be the next release after 9.12. Compared with the previous beta release, this release candidate fixes the bugs found in Thunar and GDM, and replaces ibus-pinyin with ibus-sunpinyin, currently considered by many as the best Chinese input method for composing complete sentences. Major upgrades include Linux kernel 2.6.32-23, Firefox 3.6.6, and Flash plugin 10.1. Components like BitTorrent software and other Firefox plugins have been upgraded to the latest versions. A known issue lies in the protocol handling error when one double-clicks the computer icon on the desktop. Please follow the release announcement (in Chinese) to report other problems. Download: Deepin-10.06-RC.iso (669MB, MD5).

Linux Deepin 9.12 has been released. The new version of the Ubuntu-based Chinese community distribution, formerly known as Hiweed Linux, comes with the following features: a careful selection of lightweight, easy-to-use and optimised software packages; usability enhancements of desktop start menu and file manager right-click menus; inclusion of popular software for day-to-day use, including OpenOffice.org; customised system installer with only two steps that need manual intervention; streamlined post-install configuration; various enhancements in Mozilla Firefox, such as replacement of rarely-used search engines with more popular ones, addition of several pre-configured add-ons, Flash Player 10 and multimedia plugins; graphical configuration tool for ADSL (PPPoE) and other high-speed and mobile Internet providers.... Read the detailed release notes (in Chinese) for additional information. Download: Deepin-9.12-final.iso (628MB, MD5, torrent).

Linux Deepin is a Chinese distribution consisting of elaborately selected software applications and configurations, with the goal of being easy and convenient to use. Version 9.12 is the first public release since the project changed its name from Hiweed Linux, and after five internal alpha tests the first beta version has just been announced. Although there is a change in both the project name and the logo, the slogan continues to be "relieving novices from painfully getting started with Linux as well as saving the time for veterans". Moreover, the distribution still claims to be lightweight. Linux Deepin 9.12 is based on the software repository of Ubuntu 9.10 and is only complied for the i386 architecture. Features inherited from the upstream distribution are Linux kernel 2.6.31 with USB 3.0 support and Xfce 4.6.1 with enhanced desktop experience. Check the project introduction and the release notes (both links in Chinese) for more information. Download: Deepin-9.12-beta1.iso (695MB, MD5, torrent).

After more than one year of development, the first beta of Hiweed Linux 2.0, a Chinese community distribution based on Ubuntu 8.10, was released. This version cannot be upgraded from the previous Hiweed 1.0 but can only be installed from scratch, and it does not include the brand new OpenOffice.org 3.0 so that the ISO image can be reduced to only 400 MB in size. Features: new Chinese TrueType font and new input method ibus, LXDE as the default desktop, a general-purpose SMplayer 0.6.1 based on MPlayer 1.0rc2, GIMP 2.6.1 with a new user interface, Firefox 3.0.3, various light-weight applications (IDE, file manager, editor, disc burner, email client, and P2P clients), Skype 2.0, and Linux kernel 2.6.27. See the release announcement (in Chinese) for more details. Download: hiweed-desktop_2.0beta_i386.iso (400MB, MD5).

Hiweed Desktop 1.0 has been released. Some of the changes and new features in the Ubuntu-based Chinese distribution include: improved driver installation for NVIDIA and ATI graphics cards; Firefox default page set to a simple FAQ page; screen snapshots can now be captured with the PrtScr key; Xfmedia replaced by Totem; Xgl and Compiz upgraded to their latest versions; OpenOffice.org upgraded to version 2.0.3; added Chinese translation for XChat and XFce; Gaim upgraded to support SIP; the Fcitx input method editor upgraded to version 3.3, featuring conversion between simplified and traditional Chinese (i.e. instant "translation"). Please refer to the release announcement (in Chinese) for more information. Download: hiweed-desktop_1.0final.iso (652MB, MD5); also available via BitTorrent.

Hiweed GNU/Linux is a Chinese distribution based on Ubuntu. The first beta version of Hiweed Desktop, which is essentially a remastered LiveCD of Xubuntu, was just released for testing. This release features OpenOffice.org 2.0, Sylpheed Email client, Mplayer with w32codecs and Firefox plugin (so stream media embedded in web pages can be played online), d4x (Downloader for X) and gFTP, Skype and xChat, aMule and BitTorrent, Stardict, xCHM, and gnomeBaker. Find detailed information in the user manual for Desktop 1.0 (in Chinese) on the project's new web site. Download: hiweed-desktop-1.0-beta1.iso (635MB, MD5).

Hiweed Desktop 0.6 has been released. The most important changes since the last release candidate include the following: "Several bugs were fixed; the default locale (the LANG environment variable) was set to 'C' under the console and to 'zh_CN.UTF-8' under X; the system now boots into a resolution of 1024x768. The MPlayer and Win32 codecs packages were updated to new versions." Read the rest of the release announcement (in Chinese) for more details. Download: hiweed-desktop_0.6_i386.iso (264MB). Hiweed Desktop is a Debian-based Chinese desktop Linux distribution featuring the XFce desktop environment.

The second release candidate of Hiweed Desktop 0.6 has been released. This is mostly a bug-fix release with the only new feature being the addition of autofs. All packages in the distribution have been synchronised with those in the current Debian Sarge. A new Hiweed logo has also made a debut with this release. For more details, please see the release announcement (in Chinese). Download: hiweed-desktop_0.6rc2_i386.iso (264MB). Hiweed Desktop is a Chinese desktop Linux distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux and featuring the XFce desktop environment.

This is a new development release of Hiweed Linux, a Chinese Linux distribution with XFce based on Debian GNU/Linux. New features: the Linux kernel was upgraded to 2.6.8, XFce to 4.2.0, xine, Xfmedia, and XMMS were replaced with MPlayer and Beep Media Player; a new Hiweed Desktop Control Center was added; the Hiweed Debian docs were updated; full input method on SCIM for simplified and traditional Chinese was added; included ALSA and Firefox 1.0 Chinese edition. Read the release announcement (in Chinese) for further details. Download: hiweed-desktop_0.6rc1_i386.iso (206MB).

After three quick beta releases, Hiweed Desktop 0.55 is out. Changes since version 0.3: the default kernel is now 2.6.8, but kernel 2.4.27 is also provided for hardware compatibility reasons; synchronised with the Debian Sarge branch; added a new control centre - hiweedconf; upgraded the SCIM Chinese input server to version 1.0, added two new input methods; replaced Xine with RealPlayer; X window is now started automatically, fixed many bugs. Read the full release announcement (in simplified Chinese). Download: hiweed-debian-desktop_0.55_i386.iso (236MB). Hiweed Desktop is a light-weight, Debian-based Chinese desktop Linux distribution with XFce as its default desktop environment.

This is the third beta release of the Debian-based Hiweed Desktop 0.55, a Chinese desktop Linux distribution. Changes: "GKsu was downgraded to fix the keyboard lock bug; gtkrc.zh_CN was removed so that the user can change the XFce font size; Mozilla Firefox was upgraded to 0.9.3-5 to fix the no-reply problem; the RealPlayer plugin for Firefox was linked to its right place; apmd was added; kernel-headers-2.6.8-1-386 was removed; the SimSun TTF font was replaced with UniSun." The announcement and changelog (both in simplified Chinese). Download: hiweed-debian-desktop_0.55b3_i386.iso (215MB).

Here comes the second beta of Hiweed Desktop 0.55, only two days after beta 1. Changes: "Major bugs were fixed; the font sizes of GDM and XFce4 were adjusted; normal users can now shut down on XFce4 or GDM; root can now login via GDM; GDM can start automatically every time the machine boots; mc can now display Chinese as normal; Xpdf was replaced with GPdf; Helix Player was replaced with RealPlayer 10; ChmSee was added; a default sources.list was added; the last version of Debian Reference (Chinese edition) was added; the console now boots into a resolution of 800x600 by default." The announcement, changelog (both links in simplified Chinese). Download: hiweed-debian-desktop_0.55b2_i386.iso (222MB).

A new beta release of Hiweed Linux, a Chinese Debian-based Linux distribution, is out: "This is a special version for the national day of China. The newest Debian installer is now used, the Linux kernel was upgraded from 2.4.26 to 2.6.8, and the Debian Sarge branch is used instead of Sid. SCIM was upgraded to 1.0 stable. A control center named 'hiweedconf' was added. The GDM display manager was added, so X will start automatically. Some other packages were added: libc6-dev, libc6-dev, kernel-headers-2.6.8-1-386, less, resolvconf, acpid, and helix-player. The sylpheed package was replaced with sylpheed-gtk2." The announcement and changelog (both links in simplified Chinese). Download: hiweed-debian-desktop_0.55b1_i386.iso (219MB).

Hiweed-Debian GNU/Linux is a Chinese Linux distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux. Currently it has two branches: Desktop and Server. The Server edition is a pre-configured server with Apache, PHP, MySQL, mail, DNS, and FTP. Server 0.3 beta1 now supports customised installaion (but without auto configuration yet). For example, you can choose either MySQL Server or PostgreSQL Server to serve you database. FTP server candidates are ProFTPd, pureFTPd, vsFTPd, and wu-FTPd. Mail server candidates are Exim4, Postfix, and Sendmail. Apache2 are provided with optional support of PHP4, Perl, and Python. If you choose to install Webmin, the following modules will be auto installed according to your customisation: apache, bind, mysql, postfix, postgresql, proftpd, samba, sendmail, and wu-ftpd. The announcement (in simplified Chinese). Download: hiweed-server_0.3beta1_i386.iso (118MB).

Hiweed Desktop is a Chinese Linux distribution, based on Debian GNU/Linux. Its features include preconfigured Chinese applications, such as Chinese input method, Chinese-English and English-Chinese dictionaries, and Chinese (simplified) true-type fonts. This is the first release candidate of Hiweed Desktop 0.3; the most important changes in this release are bug fixes and general clean-up to reduce the size of the ISO image. Most applications were upgraded to their current versions as per Debian Sid. Read the complete changelog (in Chinese) for details. Download: hiweed-desktop-0.3rc1.iso (202MB).